Thus Bishop Averill (Waipu) summed up his impressions of Great Britain in conversation with a reporter.
"Visits which I paid to different manufacturing centres revealed the unsatisfactory conditions under which the women and men worked, and showed the absence of home life amongst the workers. Numbers of married women are employed in factories, while the home and children are neglected, and consequently there is terrible mortality amongst young children. I am afraid there is not much chance of stopping this, but public opinion is against it, and I think that before very long it will be stopped to some extent."
He said that thousands of city dwellers appeared to be devoid of ambition, and a general air of hopelessness surrounded them.
Workers were employed for long hours for very small pay. In many industries the weekly wage was only equivalent to a day's pay in New Zealand. There was much suffering amongst women and children, and poverty was frequently met with: the difference in the physique of England city children and the young folk of New Zealand was very marked. "I was struck by the absence of young people in the villages in England," remarked the bishop. Life in the villages appeared to be stagnant, and the pleasant rural atmosphere which once surrounded the village is not there now. The majority of the inhabitants were old people, the young folks having gone away. In most cases they have gone to the cities.
Bishop Averill observed a growing disposition amongst young men not to become apprenticed or to go in for any fixed trade, preferring to take odd jobs. This would prove very detrimental to England, for apprentices were dying out, and consequently only small numbers of trained artisans were entering the industrial world. Youths preferred to take up one kind of work, then change to other employment, and so on, until eventually they swelled the great army of unemployed. The result of this changing employment was disastrous, and the disappearance of the apprentice was to be deprecated.
• The Mataura Ensign states that the new twin-screw steamer Earnslaw last week made her second trial trip, which proved very satisfactory in every way.
At the invitation of the contractors several representative gentlemen made the trip, in addition to a number of railway officials. The run was from Kingston to the beacon opposite Queenstown, and the journey was made in 1 hours. Captain Robertson was in command. The machinery worked well and all on board were delighted with the run. The boat is practically finished, many of the workmen having left Kingston for Dunedin. The saloon is elaborately furnished throughout and the floors tastefully carpeted. The crockery and silverware were unpacked a few days ago, and a fine selection has been made. The exact date of the official running of the boat is not yet fixed, but an effort is being made to ensure the attendance of a Minister and have something in the nature of a public ceremony performed. - ODT, 28.8.1912.
• COPIES OF PICTURE AVAILABLE FROM ODT FRONT OFFICE, LOWER STUART ST, OR WWW.OTAGOIMAGES.CO.NZ
